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Allen Gall
Games Editor
Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine
 allen@pocketpcmag.com

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The game I played most this week: JIGaSAWrus

 

Puzzle: JIGaSAWrus

I know jigsaw puzzles aren't really that exciting, since they're usually the domain of hospitals, nursing homes, and grade schools. But they're a nice change of pace every now and then. Admittedly, the Pocket PC isn't the best format for a jigsaw puzzle, since the screen size is so small that the pieces inevitably end up being tiny and hard to work with. While we don't see this type of game pop up all that often, I'd have to say that 4Pockets' JIGaSAWrus is definitely the best jigsaw puzzle game I've yet to see on the Pocket PC. 

What makes JIG worthwhile are several well-integrated features. The most important of these is the display mode, which is a sort of "virtual desktop," meaning the screen is larger than the display. You can scroll around simply by tapping and dragging the stylus or by tapping on a piece and dragging to the edge of the screen. This means that the pieces and the puzzles themselves can be much larger than if they had to be forced to fit onto the screen all at once. It also makes the puzzles seem a bit more realistic and also more challenging while not requiring you to struggle with the interface.

While the Pocket PC screen size is a bit frustrating, you can also zoom out to get a better view. Whenever you make a connecting between two pieces, you get a nice flash and a "click" noise to emphasize you're a step closer to finishing the puzzle. My only complaint is that the shading used on the edges of the pieces to make them look 3D sometimes distorts them a bit and makes it harder to make matches. Other nice additions are the ability to have a semi-transparent "ghost" image of the current puzzle in the background, as well as change the background color if there's not enough contrast between it and the puzzle pieces.

The game comes with 50 puzzles by default, and you can also import your own images to use as puzzles. Since the game works from standard image files, the possibilities are virtually endless.

Those of you who don't like puzzle games will probably want to skip this one, but those who do will likely be impressed with the features and overall quality of JIGaSAWrus. While it won't go down as 4pockets' most ambitious title, it treats its subject matter very well and is thoughtfully put together.
 
Title: JIGaWAWrus Developer: 4pockets.com
Genre: Puzzle Demo: Y
Platform: Pocket PC 2003+ Price: $14.95
Discuss this game Rating (of 4): 3.5/4.0


 

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Allen Gall's The Week in Games is a free service of Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine and Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine ONLINE: in-depth articles, tips, an Encyclopedia of Software and Accessories, and links to the best Windows Mobile PDA and Smartphone Web sites. It is edited by Michelle Talley.

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Allen Gall's The Week in Games  Copyright © 2007 by Thaddeus Computing Inc.